Falling in Love Online with an Ancient General-Chapter 236: The Crabapple Hairpin

The sky had not yet brightened when Qin Yuchuan gently caressed the face of the girl in his arms, his heart softening. Waking up each day with her by his side was already a satisfying thing for him.

Feng Qingyi seemed to sense the movement beside her and snuggled closer into Qin Yuchuan's embrace. He carefully got up and dressed, taking great care not to wake the sleeping figure on the bed.

As he walked out of the tent, Yan Yang was already waiting.

"General, the others are waiting for you in the main tent!"

Qin Yuchuan glanced back at the tent and ordered, "Guard this place. Don't let anyone approach. If she wakes up, tell her to wait for me a moment."

"Who is 'she'?" Yan Yang asked, but received no reply as Qin Yuchuan had already left.

When Feng Qingyi woke up, she instinctively reached to turn on the light in the dark room, but couldn't find the switch. She sat up, rubbing her head, and remembered she wasn't in her own room.

After finding her phone, Feng Qingyi turned on the flashlight, got out of bed, put on her slippers, and walked towards the tent entrance. She peeked out through the heavy curtain.

"Miss Qingyi, you're awake?"

Feng Qingyi hadn't expected Yan Yang to be there and felt a bit embarrassed about her current appearance.

"Yes. Where did Qin Yuchuan go?"

"The General went to the main tent. Before leaving, he instructed me to ask Miss Qingyi to wait for him. Please stay inside for a while; the meeting should end soon," Yan Yang replied.

Feng Qingyi inquired, "Do you all wake up this early every day?"

"In the military, we usually rise around 4:30 AM."

"That's so early! What time do you usually go to sleep?" Feng Qingyi asked.

Yan Yang: "Generally around 9 PM, but the General often discusses matters with other military leaders. If they finish early, he might return by 11 PM, but for important issues, it could be as late as 1 AM."

Hearing this, Feng Qingyi fell into thought. Sleeping only three or four hours a day, yet never appearing tired - could he be made of iron?

"Miss Qingyi, is something wrong?" Yan Yang asked, noticing her silence.

Feng Qingyi shook her head, "It's nothing. I just think you all work too hard!"

"It's not that bad. We're used to it. We just hope to finish the war quickly and return to Shengjing."

He missed the delicious food of Shengjing. The camp's meals were merely for sustenance; taste was not a priority.

Feng Qingyi: "How long do you expect this war to last?"

Yan Yang: "We've won several battles recently, partly because the enemy's strategist was absent. Now that he's back, we expect the fighting to become more evenly matched."

"We're not sure exactly when it will end, but I guess it won't be before next year at the earliest."

"Yan Yang, who are you muttering to over there?"

Hearing the voice, Feng Qingyi quickly ducked back inside.

Yan Yang: "Keep your voice down. Don't let the other guards hear."

Realizing it was Yan Chi's voice, Feng Qingyi relaxed and peeked out again. "Hello!"

"Miss Qingyi, why are you here?" Yan Chi asked.

Feng Qingyi smiled awkwardly, "I just came to have a look."

"The General said to let Miss Qingyi wait for him here. Don't spread it around," Yan Yang cautioned.

Yan Chi: "If you don't talk, no one else will gossip."

Feng Qingyi said, "Why don't you both come in and sit for a while?"

"That's not necessary. We'll guard here. Miss Qingyi, please go back inside. It wouldn't be good if other soldiers discovered you," Yan Yang said.

Noticing the sky was about to brighten, Feng Qingyi realized she could easily be spotted if she stayed outside. She nodded and went back in.

When Qin Yuchuan returned, the tent was already bright. Feng Qingyi sat on the bed wrapped in a blanket.

"Are you cold?" Qin Yuchuan approached her.

Feng Qingyi shook her head, "No, I'm fine. You slept so late last night and woke up so early. Aren't you tired?"

"I'm alright. It's just been busy these past few days, so I slept later than usual last night. Don't worry, Qingqing." Qin Yuchuan stroked her head.

Feng Qingyi held one of his hands, "Take good care of yourself."

"I will. Here, take this." Qin Yuchuan pulled out a wooden hairpin with a begonia flower design from his sleeve and placed it in Feng Qingyi's hand.

Feng Qingyi examined the hairpin. The begonia flower looked somewhat carelessly made, with petals that appeared nibbled on.

With such craftsmanship, she thought, surely no one would buy this.

"Where did this hairpin come from?"

"Do you like it?" Qin Yuchuan didn't answer her question.

Seeing his expression, Feng Qingyi realized he must have made it himself.

"Although it's not very pretty, I love it."

Qin Yuchuan said softly, "It's my first attempt. I'll make better ones in the future."

"Then I'll look forward to you making me more beautiful hairpins."

Feng Qingyi noticed faint wounds on Qin Yuchuan's hands and held them worriedly, "Does it hurt?"

Qin Yuchuan embraced her, "It's just a small injury, don't worry. Go back early for breakfast, don't let yourself go hungry."

"Alright. Come see me when you have time." She didn't like saying goodbye to him, feeling they were never truly apart.

Back in her room, Feng Qingyi examined the hairpin repeatedly, even trying it on for a while. She finally decided to use it to put up her hair for the day.

After getting dressed, Feng Qingyi left her room and glanced at the room next door. At this hour, Nan Yue would probably still be asleep.

Given Nan Yue's behavior last night, Feng Qingyi felt no need to prepare meals for her anymore.

...

Since Nan Yue moved into the villa, the lives of Feng Qingyi and Feng Qingci had been severely disrupted.

Feng Qingci moved back to the dormitory, while Feng Qingyi only returned home to sleep, even preparing several earplugs to avoid being woken up at night.

Nan Yue seemed unconcerned, ordering takeout daily, eating and drinking excessively, and leaving the house in a mess.

Feng Qingyi had no intention of becoming a maid to clean up after her. She planned to hire a cleaning service once Nan Yue left.

Nan Yue had been staying for a week with no sign of leaving.

Since Nan Yin had sent her money, Nan Yue would go shopping every day after waking up, filling the room with bags and packages.

Feng Qingyi occasionally encountered her when coming home, but they barely interacted.

Sometimes Nan Yue would deliberately try to provoke her, perhaps seeking attention, but Feng Qingyi ignored her.

She felt there was nothing worth discussing with Nan Yue. If she were her real sister, Feng Qingyi would have given her a good thrashing.

For now, this mutual non-interference was the best she could hope for. She just wished Nan Yue would leave soon.